Edible "Weeds": Burdock

I like the idea of eating the weeds that pop up in your yard. There are many common ones that are edible and easy to identify(a very important point). One of my favorites is Burdock. This common plant grows all over north America, and many other parts of the world. Many of us have had the burdock "burs" stick to our clothing when we brush up against this plant. Legend has it that in 1941, the inventor of velcro (George de Mestral) got the idea when he took his dog for a walk in the woods and wondered what those burs were that stuck onto his clothing and his dog. When he looked at those burs under a magnifying glass he saw many tiny hooks, and so he got the idea for velcro.

But back to eating burdock. The burs are not what you want to eat. In fact you want to catch the plant long before the burs show up. Not that the burs are poisonous. Every part of the burdock plant at any stage of growth is technically edible, but just because something is edible doesn't mean it's palatable. The best and most nutritious part of the plant to eat is the large root, before the central stalk of the plant gets very tall.

Burdock root, prepared properly, tastes good and is very healthy for you. It is almost as high as bananas when it comes to potassium and has a high amount of Vitamin B6. The thick root goes deep into the ground so you can get a lot of it, if you make an effort, but even going just the depth of the shovel will land you a good amount of burdock root. One or two plants should give you a large serving.

There are several burdock recipes you can find online, but my favorite way to prepare it is to simply

 wash the root well(to get rid of the dirt)
 peel off a small amount of skin, the way you would for a carrot
 cut the root lengthwise into thin strips
 fry lightly in olive oil for just 2 or 3 minutes
 add salt, pepper and sprinkle with parmesan cheese

Before you eat any wild plant always make sure you know how to identify it. This is easy to do with burdock, but look up some info online first just to make sure. Also, the first time you eat anything new, always eat just a bit. Burdock is completely edible, but so are many other things that some people have allergic reactions to.

Enjoy!